Tall Tales
by sadladybug
Summary: Even fearless little girls who have been brought back from the dead have trouble sleeping sometimes. A one shot in which Jaken begrudgingly takes on the role of bedtime story teller and entertains uncomfortable questions from a curious little girl about everyone's favorite demon lord.


"Troublesome girl! Be still already!"

Rin ceased her movement at the sound of his voice, and for an instant Jaken thought he might finally get some sleep. He had been slowly driven mad over the course of the past hour listening to her toss and turn, disturbing the dry leaves that blanketed the forest floor beneath her. The constant crunching, snapping, _shuffling_ was enough to make him want to pull out his hair, if he had had any.

He trusted Lord Sesshomaru with every fiber of his being, and he was certain that everything he did was part of an unspoken, undoubtedly perfect master plan. But privately, and not for the first time, Jaken questioned his lord's decision to allow this fragile, needy creature to accompany them on their journey. Never mind the fact that she was utterly defenseless, she just made so much _noise_. How could Lord Sesshomaru's divine sensitive ears _tolerate_ it? Even when she wasn't singing or babbling she was in constant motion, flitting about and causing trouble. It was mildly annoying at the best of times, and insufferable at its worst. In the ensuing silence he spared a moment to appreciate his lord; his patience was truly admirable indeed.

Satisfied that the problem was solved, he settled against Ah-Un's thick hide and closed his eyes. The only sound was of the crackling fire and of the crisp autumn wind as it sighed through the trees.

_Finally. Peace and quiet. _

It didn't last.

His eyes snapped open at the first sound of rustling fabric, his exasperation reaching its peak. _"Rin!"_

She twisted around, looking contrite. "Sorry, Master Jaken. It's just that I can't get comfortable."

He huffed. "Your comfort is none of my concern. Go to sleep." He hugged the Staff of Two Heads tightly against his chest to keep from whacking her over the head with it. While it might be an effective solution, he knew that even Tenseiga wouldn't be able to save him from his lord's wrath if he ever harmed the girl. That bottomless patience and forgiveness did not extend to toad imps. He squeezed his eyes shut, determined to get some rest.

Not even a moment of silence passed before she spoke again. "Master Jaken?"

He resisted the urge to cry; it simply wouldn't be dignified to be reduced to tears by a little girl. Mastering his control, he took a deep breath. "What is it?"

"I think I know what might help."

The words ground out between his teeth, a mockery of sweetness. "Oh? And what might that be?"

The glee in her voice was unmistakable. "A bedtime story!"

He opened his eyes just to roll them at her. "I'm a vassal to our great lord, not a wet nurse. I don't know any bedtime stories, foolish child. You'll have to do without."

She persisted, sitting up to face him. The excitement in her eyes told him that sleep was a distant memory for both of them. "But surely you know a great many stories after traveling with Lord Sesshomaru for so long!"

Jaken couldn't help but straighten a little with pride, but tried to maintain an air of disinterest. "Of course I do. I have been following Lord Sesshomaru for decades, aiding and cataloguing his innumerable conquests."

She clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Then you must share one with me! Please? I would very much like to hear of Lord Sesshomaru's travels!"

Jaken stole a glance at the lord in question, who was casually reclining against a tree across from them, the fire light casting deep shadows across the sharp angles of his features and making the sliver of his hair gleam. As always, he showed no sign of attending to their conversation, but Jaken knew that his liege heard _everything_. He might not look like it, but he was always keenly aware of his surroundings, alert to the slightest shifts in the wind and the subtlest changes in sky. His statuesque stoicism was both a thing of beauty and a clever facade; there was nothing that escaped his lord's attention. He was just so brilliant, and powerful, and dashing...

"Master Jaken?"

Her voice snapped him out of his dreamy state and he realized with a start that he was staring. He quickly averted his gaze and turned his attention beck to Rin, who radiated enthusiasm. He couldn't say why, but suddenly story-telling didn't seem like such a burden. "…Just one, and then you'll promise to go to sleep?"

She nodded, eyes bright. "Yes Master Jaken! I promise!"

He turned to hesitantly address the demon across from them. "Would it please my lord for me to tell Rin of the Great Battle of Toyama Bay?"

Sesshomaru blinked. Golden eyes slid in his direction and regarded him for just an instant before returning their focus to the middle distance.

"Hn."

"As you wish, my lord!" Jaken cleared his throat. "Once, many years ago, Lord Sesshomaru and I were making our way north along the coast, when an impertinent sea demon appeared and foolishly challenged milord to a duel. The sea demon was known to be crafty and strong, but of course he was no match..."

Rin rolled onto her stomach and propped her chin on tiny fists, enthralled. In the beginning, Jaken watched her carefully, monitoring her reactions, playing up the dramatic moments and taking great pains to describe all of the flattering details. Before he knew it, however, he was lost in the story, reliving the glory of the good old days when it was just him and Lord Sesshomaru.

"...and then, with a graceful, mighty swing of his poisonous claws, Lord Sesshomaru sliced open the belly of the sea demon! Blood sprayed across the sand-"

"Jaken."

The stern voice cut across his memory. "M-my apologies, my lord. Is the tale too gruesome?"

Sesshomaru's head nodded slightly in the direction of his ward. To Jaken's surprise, she had fallen into a deep, and more importantly,_ quiet_ sleep. He heaved a sigh of relief. "Foolish girl fell asleep at the most exciting part." Beneath the relief, a sliver of disappointment wedged under his heart. "Would you like me to finish the tale regardless, my lord?"

Sesshomaru raised one questioning brow in response.

"Oh, of course not! How silly of me. I'm sure your exceptional memory retains even more vivid detail than I could ever hope to recall." He settled back against Ah-Un once more, easily slipping back into memory. On the edge of sleep he murmured, "You were magnificent as always, my lord. Good night."

* * *

As it turned out, one story was not enough. The next night the scenario repeated itself, and again the night after that. Though he pretended to be put out, Jaken found that he was eager to grant her requests for tales of valiant battles and difficult pursuits. He waxed poetic of his lord's bravery, his cunning, his strength, and his power. He impressed her with tales of his grace and the awe of witnessing his lord's transformation into his true form. The tales grew lengthier and more dramatic with each passing night, and though he was loathe to admit it, evenings became his favorite time of day.

Most of the time Lord Sesshomaru was there with them, his expression remote as Jaken regaled Rin with a tale from their past. During his stories he would sometimes risk a glance at the demon lord across the fire and catch a twitch of his brow or a softening of his distant gaze as a tale drew to its dramatic conclusion. Each reaction, no matter how slight or rare, was an immense victory, an accomplishment to be savored. It became a personal challenge to amuse and delight both the human _and_ the demon in his audience. Especially the latter.

But sometimes, Lord Sesshomaru was not there. Every few nights his lord would gracefully rise and stalk off into the forest, giving no indication of his intent or anticipated time of return. Jaken assumed he was patrolling the immediate area for potential threats or possibly hunting for game, but there was never any evidence to corroborate this. No amount of questioning ever produced an answer, but Jaken comforted himself with the idea that Lord Sesshomaru was likely always within earshot even if he wasn't within sight. He preferred the nights when Lord Sesshomaru was physically in attendance for his tales, but tonight was not one of those nights.

As was becoming routine, Rin settled in next to Ah-Un, tucking her legs beneath her comfortably. Jaken had already planned out tonight's tale, but rather than asking for a story, Rin posed a question instead, eyes fixed on the empty space across the fire. "Master Jaken, what did Lord Sesshomaru do before you met?"

The question caught him off guard. "What makes you ask such a thing?"

She shrugged, but it didn't come off as nonchalant as she might have liked. "You've told me so many exciting stories about your travels together, but none from before then. I'm curious what he was like and what he was doing."

He eyed her skeptically. "I have never been so impudent as to ask, but I'm sure he was fighting great battles even then." It was as close to admitting that he didn't know as he was going to get.

She seemed to consider this. "Was he alone?"

"He was when I met him."

"You mean he didn't have any friends or travel companions?"

"Aren't you listening? He was alone until he graciously allowed me to accompany him."

She picked at a thread on the hem of her kimono and sighed. "How sad for him. Everyone should have friends."

Jaken covered his shock with a scowl. "How dare you condescend to one such a Lord Sesshomaru! My lord has no need for anything so sentimental as friendship, and he needs your pity even less. My lord needs no one."

Her head cocked to one side. "Even you, Master Jaken?"

He flinched before crossing his arms and sticking his nose in the air. "I serve at my lord's will. I am an asset to use as he commands, and never burden him so as to outlive my usefulness. You would be wise to do the same."

She ignored his warning and persisted. "Does he have a family somewhere, at least?"

Images of an obnoxious pair of furry ears sprang to mind, and he curled his lip. "None that I am aware, except for that wretched half-demon who is obviously not even worth considering. His great and terrible father has long since passed into the netherworld."

A pained look creased her brow. She hugged her knees. "That sounds lonely."

"Maybe to a simple human like you, but demons are immune to such trivialities."

She shrunk further, clutching her knees. "Demons don't need family?"

Jaken scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. Lord Sesshomaru's need for his family extends only so far as a motivation to surpass them in power and magnificence, which I dare say he has accomplished many times over."

She chewed her lip. "Could we... do you think he thinks of us as family instead?"

Jaken recoiled, both against the absurdity of her question and the pang of longing in his chest. "_I_ am his loyal servant. I can't begin to explain _your _purpose in his plans. Just be satisfied that Lord Sesshomaru has deemed you worthy of his protection."

Her eyebrows inched toward her hairline. "But what about love? Don't demons need love?"

Jaken's eyes bugged and he stared at her for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter. "_Love?_ Oh, you stupid girl!" He toppled over, rolling on the ground until his sides ached. Eventually his laughter tapered to giggles and he caught the troubled look on her face as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"I'm confused, Master Jaken. Don't _you_ love Lord Sesshomaru? I just thought with the way you talk about him…"

He sat up and waved a dismissive hand in her direction before folding his hands into his sleeves. He drew on his most dignified voice. "He has my undying devotion and admiration. I will follow my lord into any battle and would gladly lay down my life to ensure his success."

She made a face at him. "So you do."

"What?"

"Love him."

The genuineness of her statement made him uneasy. He shifted uncomfortably and muttered, "Call it what you will, it is no less than he deserves, and it is my honor to serve him in whatever way I can."

Tiny tan fingers came to rest gently on his shoulder. "It's okay to say it, Master Jaken. He has mine too."

"Your what?"

She smiled easily. "My love."

He shrugged her hand away. "Ha! And what would he want with a pitiful thing like that? Don't delude yourself silly girl. My lord has no use for your affection, and he will certainly never return it."

She snatched her hand back, looking wounded. She might be an annoying, confounding, _frustrating _little human, but he instantly regretted his words, despite the truth in them. For a moment it seemed as though she might retort, but then her shoulders sagged heavily. Perhaps now she was finally getting the point. Guilt gnawed at him; while it was better for her to learn these things now rather than be disappointed later, he _could_ have phrased it differently.

The crackle of the fire seemed unnaturally loud as the silence stretched out between them. Then, like a storm cloud passing to release the sun, her face brightened and she shrugged carelessly. "It doesn't matter. My love is mine to give, and I want him to have it, even if he doesn't return it. It's all his, whether he needs it or not."

Jaken blinked at her, trying to decide if she was the bravest girl alive or the most idiotic. Even still, he envied her boundless optimism. "...All of it, you say?" Her eyes softened as she looked at him, and he cursed the involuntary hopeful lilt in his voice.

Her smile only widened. "I suppose I could save a little bit for you, Master Jaken, if you'd take it."

He looked away and scratched the back of his neck, fixing his gaze into the depths of the dark forest. He felt flushed; surely he was just sitting too close to the fire on such a mild night. He scooted back a few inches and mightily cleared his throat. "Did I ever tell you about the time our great Lord Sesshomaru defeated an entire tribe of spider demons single-handedly? It was three summers ago, and the southwestern mountains were being overrun…"

* * *

High above them, nestled in the crooked branches of a tall tree, a pale demon's lips quirked into the smallest of smiles.

* * *

A/N – Oh Jaken... I actually really love this trio. I would be overjoyed to watch an entire side series that focused on nothing but their random journeys wandering around the country and the ensuing antics. Maybe this story is one of those antics, just a quick little plot bunny that had to be satisfied. I have no idea what inspired this, but I felt compelled to write it. Apologies in advance for any typos or odd phrasing that slipped through.

Now, to get back to a Zutara story that has been left unfinished for too long... *puts angst hat on and cranks songs about unrequited love*


End file.
